COVID-19 Relief: Madison School District Gets $45,887

MADISON, NJ — New Jersey school districts were told this week how much federal aid is coming to help mitigate the budgetary issues stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. The Madison School District will be getting $45,887 to help offset expenses from the coronavirus pandemic.

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The state Department of Education received $310 million in federal K-12 aid through the CARES Act. More than $200 million from that aid package was awarded to individual districts. Each district's allocation is based on its share of funding under Title I, the federal government’s primary funding program for high-poverty schools.

"Madison Public Schools are grateful for the assistance provided through the CARES act. The amount (which is less than the cost of a teacher's salary, without benefits) has been given to us in proportion to the number of disadvantaged students in the district," Superintendent Mark Schwarz told Patch. "Accordingly, we anticipate allocating these funds for unbudgeted costs related to remote learning, including, but not limited to, increased Chromebook repairs, the provision of home wifi, and the forgiveness of student obligations, such as lunch balances and lost or broken equipment, for families in need."

Schwarz said that while this money is appreciated, it is insufficient to cover the massive unbudgeted costs for having to reopen schools with less state funding and physical distancing guidelines in place.

"We implore our national and state leaders to provide coherent guidance and funding plans to support our effective operations in 2020-21. As we have received no such indication of what will be expected of us or provided to us moving forward, Madison Public Schools are working diligently to be prepared for anything," he said. "Currently that means we are planning for ongoing, flexible, online instructional practices that can be employed whether or not students or staff are in school or at home. We are also readying ourselves for compliance with rigorous sanitization and health protection measures."

Schwartz said that while the future is uncertain, he knows that the Dodger faculty, students, parents, administration and Board will get through this together and be stronger on the other side.

CARES Act Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Funds Allocations and Application The federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act includes specific funding sources for Local Education Agencies (LEAs).

The New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) has released LEAs’ ESSER Fund allocations.

ESSER Fund awards to LEAs are allocated in the same proportion as those funds received under Part A of Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended, in school year 2019-20.

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